Just Cook

Basic Ingredients: Founder Tim Ryan runs courses from a gleaming high-tech kitchen. Tim confesses not to being a chef by trade and sees himself as “just a guy who loves good food”. He puts the focus on being hands-on and full on, vows to give you your money back if you’re not satisfied, and promises you’ll go away with a whole load of food for your freezer. Small class sizes (maximum 8 people); from £79 to £235 per person.

They say: If you want to sit back and watch, then we are not the place for you. That sort of thing might be entertaining, but I know from personal experience that you won’t remember much of what you’ve seen.

We Say: Self-taught experts are often the best teachers. Tim has a direct, no-nonsense style emphasis; he has been on lots of cookery courses himself and is clear about what he wants to deliver.